Hose-coupling.



No. 771,439. PATENTED OCT. 4, 1904. J. F. MOELROY.

HOSE UOUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 10, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented October 4, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. MCELROY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CONSOLI- DATED CARHEATING COMPANY, OF ALBANY, NEWV YORK, A COR- PORATION OF VIRGINIA.

HOSE-COUPLING.

iaPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,439, dated October4, 1904. Application filed December 10, 1908. Serial No. 184,520. (Nomodel.)

To all Mill/0772, 711 nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES F. MoELRoY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Albany, county of Albany, and-State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hose-Couplers, of whichthe following is a specification, and accompanying drawings disclose, asan illustration, one embodiment thereof, which I now regard as the bestout of the various forms in which the principles of the invention may beapplied.

In the drawings, Figure 1 ,is an end elevation of my improved coupler.Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof, andFig. A the opposite side elevation.

My invention relates to a coupler of the well-known type used forjoining the steamheating pipes of railway-cars wherein there is a bodyportion connected on one side to a nozzle designed to be attached to theextremity of the hose and provided on the other side with a face adaptedto meet the face of a complementary coupler, there being also aperforation through the body portion forming a continuation of thepassage through the hosenozzle and coming into line with a correspondingperforation in the body of the comple mentary coupler when the two arejoined and locked together. This type of 'coupler has also a projectingwing extending forward from the body portion on one side thereof, soas'to overlap the body portion of the complementary coupler and engagewith an undercut lug thereon.

My present invention involves, first, a spring-pin extendingtransversely through the body portion of the coupler and having itsprojecting tip lying in line with the path of movement of the wing onthe complementary coupler, so as to engage therewith and assist inmaintaining. it in its locked position. The surface of the wing when itengages the pin has oppositely-beveled surfaces, so that the pin actsthereon to press the wingdownward into engagement with the locking-lugduring the time that the parts are in their locked position and alsoacts to press the wing upward when the parts are being disengaged j andthe tip of the spring-pin passes over the dividing-ridge that separatesthe two inclined 5 or wedging surfaces. In the second place I haveprovided on. the face of the coupler a bridging arch or ledge thatoverhangs and protects the gasket-holder, which, as shown in my previousPatent No. 669,960, of March 12, 1901, is hinged on the lower edge ofthe front face of the coupler and carries an annular gasket, forming theextremity of the perforation or passage-way through the body of thecoupler and engaging with a similar gasket on the complementary couplerto form therewith a steam-tight joint.

Turning tothe accompanying drawings, A is the body portion of thecoupler connected on one side to the nozzle L and having an in- 5 ternalperforation which forms a continuation of the passage-way through thenozzle.

B is the forwardly-projecting Wing on one side of the bodyA and adaptedto overlap the body of a complementary coupler when the 7 two arebrought together. The wing B is provided with a diagonal undercut flangeO, adapted to hook over an undercut lug 1), projecting from the side ofthe body portion of the complementary coupler and by such engagement,draw the two body portions together by a wedging action as the twofaces are rotated toward each other in a well-known manner [around acenter nearly coincident with the adjacent lower edges of the meetingfaces.

Through the body portion of the coupler is passed a transverse pin H.This pin is located near the center of the body and in the upper partthereof above the passageway 8 5 through the coupler. It is provided atone end with a beveled tip projecting slightly beyond the side of thebody and at the other end it is either provided with a rivet-head or,preferably, with a short lever-arm J, secured rigidly 9o thereto. Aspring K surrounds the central portion of the pin and is seated at oneend against a shoulder on the pin and at the other end against ashoulder in the socket wherein the pin is contained. A projecting tip ofthe pin lies in the path of movement of the wing C of the complementarycoupler when the said wing is being swungdownward to bring the undercutflange G into engagement with the lug D. The inside surface of the saidwing is formed, as more particularly appears in Fig. 2, with two beveledsurfaces at 0 extending in opposite direction from a dividing-ridge b.It is these beveled surfaces which engage with the tip of the pin H. Asthe inclined wedging-surface 0 comes in contact with the tip of thespring-pin when the wing B is being turned downward into its lockingposi tion the pin is pressed inward against the force of its spring Kuntil the ridge 6 passes the extremity of the pin, which thereupontravels along the oppositely-inclined surface a and gradually movesoutward under the pressure of its spring K until the wing B is finallyforced home with its flange C engaging the lug D and the meeting facesof the two body portions thereby pressed into intimate contact. In thislocking position of the parts the tip of the spring-pin still bearsagainst the inclined surface a, thereby having a constant tendency towedge the wing downward into the locking position, where it is to bemaintained. In order to disengage the two parts, it will be necessary toexercise some force in order to press the pin it inward by the camaction of the surface a against the force of the spring K; but after theparts are opened-a short distance the tip of the pin passes over thedividingu'idge b, and there after as it passes over the surface 0 ittends to assist the further opening up of the coup lers. I prefer to usethe short lever-arm J, which is shown in Figs. 3 and a as secured to theinner end of the spring-pin. By means of this lever the pin can berotated, and as the lever is moved upward into the position shown indotted lines, Fig. 4:, the lever J passes over the cam-surface (Z anddraws the pin H inward against the force of the spring K until it isfinally retracted completely within the body of the couplerand is whollyout of the way of the wing B. Thus by turning the lever J the pin may bethrown entirely out of action or may be retracted to assist in thedisengagement of the parts should there be any difliculty in forcing thepin inward by means of the, wedging-surface The second portion of myinvention resides in the construction of the face of the body portion ofthe coupler with the arch or projecting ledge Gr along the upper edge ofthe face which overhangs and protects the swinging gasket-holder F, thatcarries the annular gasket E. This gasket-holder is hinged on the pin S,extending transversely across the lower edge of the face of the couplerin the manner described and claimed in my aforesaid patent, No. 669,960,of March 12, 1901. The gasket-holder and the gasket when in their normalposition against the face of the coupler body constitute the meetingsurface, against'which impinges a similar surface on the complementarycoupler. In this position the holder is secured against displacement bya cam P, pivoted in a recess in the inner side face of the wing B andengagingalug R, projecting from the side of the gasket-holder into theaforesaid recess. The arch or ledge G extends forward from the body ofthe coupler toa point flush with the front face of the gasket-holder,and the lower edge of the arch conforms to the contour of the upper edgeof theholder. By this means the gasket-holder is protected fromdisplacement or injury from external causes, such as the blows from thehammer of the inspector, who in pursuance of his duties tests thecoupling by a smart tap with his hammer that is liable to break thegasket-holder. This arrangement gives a solid exterior to the couplerfree from delicate projecting parts, it being also noted that thespring-pin is likewise contained in the body of the coupler, and its tipbears against the inside of the wing, so as to'be thereby covered andprotected against outside blows.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A hose coupler having a body portion provided on one side with aforwardlyprojecting wing adapted to overlap and engage with a similarbody portion of a complementary coupler and having also a spring pin forretaining the parts in engagement which is providedv with a rotatingleverage device for throwing it into and out of its operative position.

9-. A hose-coupler having a body portion provided on one side with aprojecting wing adapted to overlap and engage with the body portion of acomplementary coupler, and having also a spring pin for retaining theparts in engagement, which is provided with a cam device for throwing itinto and out of its operative position.

3. A hose-coupler having a body portion adapted to meet and engage withthe body portion of acomplementary coupler and provided with a hingedgasket-holder and a projecting ledge on the face of the body portionoverhanging and protecting the gasket-holder.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, before two subscribingwitnesses, this 4th day of December, 1903.

JAMES F. MoELROY.

Witnesses:

Ennms'r. D. JANsnN, WVILLIAM A. MORRILL, Jr.

